


One Of Us

by toothIess



Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Angst, David is only mentioned, Family Bonding, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 12:46:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14737217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toothIess/pseuds/toothIess
Summary: The family of thirteen year old Leo is trying to do whatever they can to support Leo after the incident as he has troubles with accepting the changes. Perhaps his family is trying too hard.





	One Of Us

**Author's Note:**

> Leo is thirteen. This takes place AFTER the incident where Beatrice Elster dies and Leo wakes up with a synth brain. Leo is very young and trying to process everything. He's very precious.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Leo let out deep sigh as he tried to block the sound of the leaking drain from his mind by covering his entire head underneath his soft pillow. It didn’t help him it all and he was still able to hear the sound drilling inside his head. Leo assumed that one of his siblings would get around to fixing the drain in his private bathroom soon once they would come to check up on him. That should only be a matter of time.

It had only been a month since his mother Beatrice had pulled him with her into her car so that she could take him somewhere where they could spent some time together. At least that was what she had told his father David. It turned out that Beatrice had every intention of driving into the lake and letting the water fill their lungs as they would slowly suffocate together. She wanted her son to die along with her.

Leo could still remember how he had pounded hysterically onto the closed windows of the car with the attempt to try and break the glass but it didn’t butch. He was pounding and pounding onto it until his hands started to hurt. He had probably broken a few bones in his fingers from hitting the glass at the same spot over and over again, but still Leo kept hitting it as he felt how the oxygen started to disappear from his lungs. One of the last things he had saw was how Mia had swum towards the car. Only just before she had made it all the way down there the lake the image froze.

Leo had died.

He had been in a coma for at least a week before they had officially proclaimed him brain dead because he had been in the water for too long. Clearly his father wasn’t going to let it rest and he had brought Leo back to the Elster residence where he had started to operate on his own son. David Elster was known throughout the entire world as the man who had created synths. He had succeeded in making them conscious even though he hadn’t let those synths be seen by the rest of the world and he had kept them here at the Elster residence.

David had worked on Leo’s brain for nearly a day and he had somehow succeeded into attaching a sort of machine onto Leo’s brain which would assist it. With it he would be able to replay some of his favorite memories and he would never be able to forget because his brain would function exactly the same as a synth would.

When Leo had first awoken a few weeks after the incident he had been completely overwhelmed by how fast his brain was functioning and how it was able to notice every tiny detail in his bedroom. The picture frames of him and his parents when he had only been three years old still hung on the wall and he could see his parents smiling. Now he knew that it had only been a facade this whole time because of his mother’s deteriorating mental health.

Surprisingly enough his siblings and Mia had all gathered around his bed to see how he was going to react when he would realize how different the world would be with this improved brain of his. Max and Fred constantly told him that Leo had nothing to worry about and that in good time he would’ve grown accustomed to his new brain and also that it had a lot of benefits because he was better now than any other average human.

This of course had terrified Leo but he had tried to not let them show what he had truly felt. Still he knew that they were able to detect his true emotion with ease, but they said nothing of it. Instead they had all tried to comfort him in the best way that they could and Leo was grateful for it. He had really started to see them as his real siblings because he had shared so many beautiful and meaningful memories with them. Mia had been essentially created by his father to replace Leo’s mother so that he still had a mother figure in his life and someone who would always be there whenever he needed a hug and Mia was darn good at it.

As more weeks had passed Leo slowly grew more accustomed to the way his brain could detect the most subtle things in a room. Leo tried to practice with it as much as he could as a way to keep himself busy so that he wasn’t entirely alone with his thoughts. It was almost impossible for him to be alone in this huge house because he was always surrounded by his family. Just last night Niska had showed up in his bedroom because she had heard a change in Leo’s breathing that told her that he was in need of some reassurance and she lay down next to him in his bed while he had drifted asleep. It were those little things that his siblings did for him that made everything more bearable for him so that he wouldn’t have to think about the incident all of the time.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Leo grunted as he threw his pillow across the room because the drain was still leaking and no one had bothered to fix it yet. He lifted himself out of his bed to go into the bedroom where he saw that a puddle of water had formed next to the bathtub which almost reached the door. Apparently the drain had been leaking all throughout the night without Leo noticing.

Leo froze on the spot when he caught his reflection in the mirror and those bloodshed eyes stared back at him. There were red blotched all over his cheek because he had been crying by himself last night when he had replayed the memory of the incident inside his mind and he could almost feel the water taking over his lungs again as if he was being suffocated once more. Leo brought his hand up to his throat to see it he could notice anything odd, but it looked alright.

"Leo, what are you doing here - Oh!"

Fred stopped in the middle of his sentence when he stepped into the water with his bare feet. His gaze lingered to the puddle as he checked to see where all this water had came from.

"It’s been leaking all night," Leo blandly replied as he pointed towards the drain at the bathroom sink.

Fred ruffled Leo’s hair. "It’s alright. I’ll try and see what I can do," he said. "You should go downstairs because Mia has made you some breakfast. It’s almost noon and she didn’t want you to spent the entire day in your bed."

That was all that Fred said to him as he opened the doors of the bathroom sink while Leo walked out the room and his bedroom. As he reached the upper-hallway he could smell the scent of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen and his stomach grumbled because he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon which had been an apple. He knew that Mia was going to scold him on his bad eating habits whenever she would get the chance which was why he was dreading to go to the kitchen because Mia was there waiting for him and she wasn’t going to let it rest.

With heavy steps Leo descended down the stairs and he knew that the rest of his family had heard his footsteps and was now aware that he was on his way. Because of what had happened his family had been very careful and observant around him to make sure that he was grieving alright and that he knew that he wouldn’t have to deal with everything alone.

As he stepped into the kitchen he saw that Mia was busy with cleaning the counter and had placed breakfast for at least three people on the dining table. Max was charging on a chair near the window while Niska was reading a book next to where Max was seated. At the sound of his arrival they all turned their heads to look at him and noticed his bloodshed eyes which told them that he had had a rough night. The only person who hadn’t been there was David Elster who usually hid inside his laboratory. He would never spent much time with him or the rest of the synths.

"Morning Leo," Mia said with her chipper voice as she addressed him a gentle smile. "I’ve made you your favorite breakfast."

Leo didn’t say anything in return but waddled over to the dining table where he almost let himself fall down onto his chair. He could feel the eyes of all three of the synths anxiously watching his every move and it made him restless. Leo knew that they only wanted what was best for him and that they cared for him, but perhaps they were trying a bit too hard.

He was twirling the fork in circles as he stared down at his bacon for a moment as he got lost in his own thoughts. It wasn’t that he was intentionally denying himself some food but he had simply forgotten to eat.

Clearly Mia had noticed that because she was suddenly at his side. "Are you not hungry, Leo?" she doubtfully asked him. "You have to try and eat this. "

Leo broke his trance and smiled meekly at the woman who was like a mother to him. "Sorry," he said as he shook his head. "I was just thinking about something actually. I am hungry, Mia. This smells delicious." To let her know that he meant what he said he actually cut a piece from the bacon and put into his mouth. With his synth brain he could detect every little flavor and textures inside the bacon which he wouldn’t have noticed with his human brain. This had made eating such a unique experience because he had been overwhelmed by all of this information every time that he had tried to eat something.

"I am well aware that you haven’t been eating that much since the incident," Mia went on. "You put a lot of effort it making it seem as if you actually did eat whatever I feed you, but I’m not blind. We can all see that you’ve been neglecting yourself all this time and we want to know why."

He paused for a moment. "I guess it’s because I forget to eat," he assumed.

"You’re too busy with grieving the loss of your mother and accepting this new reality with your brain that you barely have any time to eat something," Niska said as she got onto his feet so that Leo could look her in the eye. "If you want to regain your strength then you have to keep eating, Leo. Else you’re just going to fade away. Don’t be one of those people."

Max also stood up while he unplugged his charger. "It is alright to feel all of this pain that you’re feeling," he said. "That is all part of grieving for someone who you held dear and that is going to take some time. You just need to know that we’re all here to help you get through this. You can always talk to us whenever something is bothering you."

"You also haven’t been sleeping great either, are you?" Mia asked concerned, but she already knew the answer to that.

Leo took in a deep breath. "I’m terrified. Whenever I try and get some sleep I see everything being replayed inside my head and it’s almost as if I’m drowning again. I can basically feel the water entering my lungs while I cannot do anything about it because I’m trapped inside that car. I just experience it over and over again and I’m sick of it. If this is what it’s like to have a synth brain then I don’t want it. I’ll ask my dad if he can put my normal brain inside my head again. This is too much for me."

In the meantime Fred had returned from fixing the sink and he dried his hands on a towel. "Leo, you have to understand that this has nothing to do with this new brain of yours. You’ve experienced quite a bit of trauma and lets not forget that you died. It’s totally logical that your final memory replays itself over and over again because you keep hoping for a different outcome every time."

"Precisely," Niska said with a nod at her brother. "And let’s not forget that it has only been a month since all of this has happened. Your brain has had barely any time to register that this has officially happened because it’s been quite a shock."

"You’re going to heal, Leo," Max reassured him as he placed a comforting hand on Leo’s shoulder. "It’s going to take some time until the sharp edges of these memories will be smoothed and we will help you with that. That’s what we were created for. To be your siblings."

"And we care too much for you," Mia added as she addressed him another one of those motherly smiles that only she could give him. She gently ruffled him through his unruly dark hair. "I’m glad that you’ve decided to open up to us so that we know what’s really troubling you. With that we’re going to do whatever we can to help you. These nightmares will fade, Leo."

And Leo believed every word that they were saying. He had gotten years to grow used to the constant presence of his siblings and his mother and he relied so much on them because his father was hardly there for him. They were always there when he needed a pat on his back or someone to laugh with. They were the only family that he needed. And now that Leo had a better developed brain it was easier for him to understand what they were like because he was one of them. He even needed to charge now which was still a pretty disturbing change for him.

"I cannot say what the future holds," Leo said with a sly smile. "But I’m going to try to not fade away and Ill start by eating this breakfast that Mia has made for me to proof just that."

"That’s a great start, Leo," Fred said with a chuckle. "You have to begin somewhere."

All of his siblings backed away so that Leo had more room to properly to eat his breakfast in peace. They knew that he had taken a big step forwards by realizing that he needed the help that they provided him and that he cared about his own health. He could still feel their curious eyes on him as he quietly ate, but he payed it no mind. He knew the true intention of their concern and that reassured him.

Leo had almost forgotten how hungry he had been for all these weeks since he had barely eating anything at all. He had somehow suppressed the feeling of hunger because his mind had been focused on more important thoughts. Now that he had finally given in to eating again his body almost immediately reacted to being fed and gave a sign that it wasn’t full yet and wanted more. He was ravenous. 

"I believe that you have some catching up to do with eating," Niska figured lightheartedly as she headed to the fridge. "Would you care for more eggs and bacon or some cereal? We happen to have both."

"I could also make some pancakes," Mia offered humbly. "I have bought all the needed ingredients the other day."

"I think Leo needs all of that," Max teased when he saw the hungry look in his brother’s eyes. "I don’t think he’ll be satisfied any time soon."

They all looked at Leo to await his answer. "Yeah, Max is right. I’m famished."

That apparently was all that he needed to say before both Mia, Niska and Fred began to rummage through the kitchen and all the cupboards to prepare enough breakfast that would fill Leo’s neglected stomach. The three of them worked around each other without getting in each others way while Max sat down next to Leo to watch the spectacle unfold in the kitchen.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave you the largest size of everything," Max said with a lazy grin on his face.

"Me neither. They’ve been waiting for this chance to show off for quite some time it would seem," Leo replied with a chuckle.

"That’s because they care, Leo," Max retorted. "You must remember that we were basically created with the intention to look after you and that’s our most important drive. It’s in our code. So if you’re not feeling well our brain usually detects the change in your body to let us know that you need something of us. It helps us giving you the care that you need and we don’t mind. It gives us a purpose and we enjoy doing it if you must know."

Leo was able to smile back at his brother. "I do know that, Maxie. You’ve all been there for me when I needed it and I’m grateful for it." When his mother’s mental health was deteriorating further and further his siblings had taken him outside to a nearby forest where they could play. They had showed him what it felt like to be loved by someone in your family and that was a feeling that Leo never wanted to give it. They made him feel like he mattered.

Back when Leo had been little his father had never really gave him that feeling. He was pretty much incapable of being a good father which was why he had devoted his time to create synths who could do it for him which saved him the trouble. Even now the bound that Leo had with his father was troubled and there weren’t many memories that he shared with the man. Leo had always been closer with his mother before her mental health had gotten in the way.

The first time that Leo had actually felt accepted by someone was when his father had finished completing all of the synths because suddenly Leo had a whole family of siblings and someone who was like a mother to him. He raveled in all of the attention that he was suddenly getting which had made him feel more alive. According to his father he had changed into someone who could easier interact with other people and he didn’t withdraw as much anymore and that was because of his new family. He loved them for doing that for him.

By the time that Mia, Niska and Fred placed at least five plated filled with all sorts of food on the table about fifteen minutes had past. Leo heard his stomach growl at the sight of so much food which he hadn’t seen at Christmas when he had only been four years old, but the memory was still clear in his mind. His new family was trying to make new memories with him and he appreciated all of their effort. Even though synths didn’t require food he was thankful that they were all there with him to keep him company.

Leo sometimes wondered where they had all learned how to cook but he assumed that that must be in their code. They were created to be better than a human in every way and her father hadn’t failed with his creation. Their cooking and baking skills were exquisite enough to let them work in a restaurant or something, but they chose to stay here with him instead.

"Even if you finish all of this food that we’ve cooked for you you’re still and bones," Niska said with a raised eyebrow. "I’m almost tempted to drive you to a burger joint if that wouldn’t blow my cover."

Leo raised his hands. "No need," he replied. "I’m sure that I’ll eat plenty here because I’ve got all of you."

Fred flashed him a generous smile. "You’re absolutely right and we’re not going anywhere."

"We go where you go, Leo," Mia told him as she kissed the top of his hair once he had finished eating all of the pancakes. "Don’t forget that."

"Are you up for some footies later?" Max suggested. "There is no forecast of rain today so we should be able to play outside in the garden the whole day without getting entirely soaked. Besides you still owe me a rematch. "

A grin tucked at Leo’s lips at that request as he thought back at how he and Niska had skillfully won against Max and Fred. "I’m up for it. Only if we play in the same teams as last time," he insisted.

"Fine with me," Fred eagerly agreed.

"Clever suggestion," Niska said as she wrapped her arm around Leo’s shoulder for a few seconds. "You and I make quite a good team and we have every chance of winning from them again."

When Leo had finished his breakfast against everyone’s amazement he ran out of the kitchen with his siblings right behind him and it didn’t matter that he was still wearing his pyjamas. The only thing that mattered was that Leo Elster might be a broken soul, but at least he wasn’t alone. He had his family with him.


End file.
